What They Left Behind
by IRunWithWerewolves
Summary: Bella has now been abandoned twice by the Cullens, and this time her wounds may not heal; unless the one who loved her from the start can pick up the pieces, all over again. M for possible mild lemons. As accurately in character as I can manage. R&R
1. Empty

_**A/N: **__This story begins near the end of New Moon. Rosalie did not tell Edward that Bella jumped off the cliff, and everything went as planned. Alice was relieved to see Bella alive, but the inevitable had to happen. I hope you enjoy! Also, at the end of the chapter is an Author's Note #2 specifically for fans who have read my other stories. But even if you're new to my stuff, please do take your time to read it.  
>Anyway, here's what you actually WANT to read. xD<em>

**-Chapter 1-**

I could not prevent the tears from spilling over. Not now. Please. Not now. It's too soon.

"Alice, Alice p-please d-don't go…" I sputtered.

This was not me. I wasn't like this; I didn't cry in front of someone. But it didn't matter; my dignity was far down on my list. This was the last connection to my world that once was, slipping through my grasp like a handful of sand, and the tighter I held on, the more it fell.

"I'm sorry, Bella, but you knew I had to leave after I found out you were alive. Ed- I mean, _he_," Alice cut off when I flinched at his name, "was right to know that this couldn't continue. It's dangerous and wrong. I'll always love you, but we all have to move on," Alice looked like she would be crying, if she could.

Jacob stood behind me, protecting me as was usual these past few days, but he was silent with understanding of the pain I felt.

"I'm sorry, Bella, so, so sorry…" she backed further and further away, until she disappeared.

And that's when I fell.

The hole in my chest ached, it burned and contorted and throbbed, got bigger and smaller, ripped itself over and over again, until I was screaming.

I was screaming like I had never screamed before. It was hollow and empty and dead, but loud, so loud that all the birds fled from the trees, but quiet, so quiet over the roar in my ears, the sobs in my chest, the uneven beating of a broken heart.

I convulsed, contorted, cried out _his_ name, then all of their names, begging for an answer, something, _something_, to let me know that maybe they weren't gone for good.

I felt warm hands, trying to stop me, to hold me. I was too weak to resist, but I was immune to comfort, even from Jacob. I continued to thrash until he had to pin me down and hold me securely in his arms. Finally I gave up and just shook in his embrace; I just sat there shaking with sobs that were not there. I was beyond crying. My emotions had surpassed human comprehension or understanding, so my brain had short-circuited and crashed.

Finally, Jacob took me back inside and set me on the couch. He lay down beside me, stroked my back, my hair, tried to rub life into me like a newborn puppy born without breath. Then he opened his mouth for the first time. His voice was soft.

"I'm going to have to heal you all over again, Bella. I will stitch the wounds created by those horrible people all over again. Thread by thread. But know that you are worth every single one. I can make you so much happier than you were, even before they left,"

I gained the smallest fraction of comfort from his words, something that shocked me, and sent a little static jolt of hope through my spine that quickly faded.

My wounds were beyond repair this time.

_**A/N #2 (Please Read):**__ Hello all! Yes, I have returned! It's been what, a year and a half? Wow. Well, not a whole lot has happened. I'm in high school, and I think my writing ability has improved drastically, even though I have a really shitty writing teacher right now who does not help with encouraging me to write. I miss my old one, but I guess I'll deal. _

_Anyway, if you've read my other JacobxBella fanfic, Severed Trance, I'm so glad you're back! This one will be different, I hope a little more focused on emotion and less on action, and hopefully written more eloquently and much longer, and definitely more realistic to the characters in the book. I want to take time with this and make it right. _

_I know at one point I said I would do sequels to Severed Trance, there's a chance I might, but to be perfectly honest I don't like the direction that story is going. I've found the whole babies thing to just screw stuff up and leave you at a dead end. _

_**LEAVE ME REVIEWS.**__ Tell me what you think, what you want, where you want this story to go! They are always immensely appreciated. They keep me going. Please, please, please and thank you!_


	2. Hope

_**A/N:**__ Enjoy! :D REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!_

**-Chapter 2-**

**Jacob's POV**

My huge paws thudded on the soft earth as I ran. I didn't understand what was happening. Well, I did. But it didn't make sense, and this was the only time when I could think. This and the time I spent with Bella. Even now, thinking about her beautiful face contorted in pain, ached.

Something had changed between me and Bella. Right after the little bitch had felt it necessary to come and ruin her all over again and then leave, as soon as I looked into her eyes, it was magic. But why hadn't it happened before? We saw each other all the time after I changed, so why had it happened now? I didn't know. I didn't care.

All I knew was I had gotten what I'd been waiting for; after hearing Sam and Jared's stories about the incredible bond, the person that you were tied to forever. That one moment where everything clicked, and finally my life, the gift-and-curse of what I was, finally had meaning.

Yes, this was it.

Sam had said it was called imprinting. The name sort of made sense, but it wasn't strong enough. I needed better words for what I felt. How beautiful life became when I saw her, how much my love had increased, even when before I was sure it couldn't grow any more.

I hated being away from her, especially in this state. She was so fragile; I was afraid of what she would do if she was left alone. I stayed with her as much as I could, Charlie said she looked so much better when I was there, something that warmed my heart, but the redhead was still around.

But _Bella_. Every bone in my body ached to see her. How did they do it? How did Sam and Jared resist this impulse?

_Not without difficulty_, Sam thought bitterly.

I jumped a little. How much had they heard?

_Pretty much everything. You're right; it doesn't make sense. Why didn't you imprint as soon as you saw her? _Jared asked.

_Beats me. _I raised and dropped my shoulder, doing the wolf version of a shrug.

_It doesn't matter. What's done is done. Fate works in odd ways. The most important thing is that we don't have to share his pain anymore,_ Paul thought bitterly.

There were mumbles of agreement throughout the pack.

I thought about how far from happy I would be until Bella was happy. I would do anything I could. Anything.

_She should never have trusted them,_ Sam thought sadly.

_We all knew that. She wouldn't have listened; she's too stubborn._ I shook my head as I thought about it, and felt her pain rock my insides again.

_I understand how you feel Jacob, you know I do. I would give you more off time to be with her if I didn't need your help so much. Take her to go see Emily. If anyone can brighten her day, it's her. Get some food in her system. _Sam smiled as he thought of Emily. Beautiful, happy Emily.

Maybe one day Bella could be like that again. I wanted to love Bella with everything I had, just like Sam, if she would let me.

_She will. Be patient,_ Sam thought, _the bond between soul mates is too strong to be resisted by either party for very long. Time and love will heal her._

I could feel Paul and Embry's discomfort increase by the second.

_Sorry. You'll understand when it happens to you, _I thought as I shoved Embry jokingly, barking a wolfy laugh.

_God. I dunno if I want it to or not, _Embry waved his head from side to side, _it's a little creepy._

_You do, trust me, _Jared thought, his mind flashing briefly to the other perks that came with such a strong primal connection. The… personal ones.

_Seriously? That good? _Paul was interested now.

_Better,_ Jared nodded, _My thoughts can't do it justice._

Now we were real teenaged boys again. I thought about Bella, as always. I wonder if her and the leech had ever…

_UGH! GAH! That's disgusting! _Embry exclaimed, _It's like fucking a dead body! It _is_ fucking a dead body! _

Jared gagged, and nearly vomited right there. _Way to kill the mood, man._

_I think the proper term is Necrophilia, _Sam interjected matter-of-factly, unfazed by the imagery.

_I think we're done with this!_ I thought.

_Naw, they couldn't have done it, _Paul thought, ignoring me, _he would've crushed her to powder. You know he couldn't have controlled himself; a guy like that probably hasn't gotten much ass, even in the -what?- _hundred years_ he's been alive? _Embry _would last longer!_ Paul's wolf guffawed. So did everyone else, even me, a little, until I thought about Bella's safety, and my teeth bared.

_Calm down, it was just a joke, _Paul sobered a little though.

_Damn funny one too,_ Jared thought, slightly submissively.

_I don't think it was funny at all,_ Embry thought loudly.

_You know what, screw it, you guys have got me in a good mood. We've chased the redhead clean off; she won't be back for a few days. You guys go enjoy yourselves. Jacob, get Bella and bring her to mine and Em's house, okay? Let her work her magic. She's worried about her, too. She wants her over. _Sam was already headed in the other direction, straight to said location.

_Thanks, Sam,_ I thought, already running. Back to more pressing matters.

It was not long at all before I was close to the break in the woods where the little white house sat. I looked at it, and it was home. Home was where Bella was.

I phased, pulled on my cutoffs, and ran to the door. Should I even bother knocking? I did anyway.

Charlie opened the door, looking tired and worried. "Oh, Jacob. Just in time. Please, come on in,"

"How is she?" My voice was soft.

"Always better when you're here," He breathed the words, like my presence had lifted a load off his shoulders.

I stepped in, and there she was.

The stab was so painful when I saw something so beautiful, so _broken_. She was in a fetal position on the couch, holding herself, like she was going to fall apart.

"I'm going to get some sleep. Work your magic, Jacob. We all know you're the only one who can make her feel better," Charlie smiled halfheartedly. The bags on his eyes were even more prominent in the light.

I nodded, and walked over to the little leather couch, almost a loveseat, and sat down beside her broken body. As soon as Charlie's door closed, I lay down beside her and wrapped my arms around her.

"Jake," she rasped in a broken whisper. It stung to my core to hear it.

She turned around and wrapped her arms around me, so we were intertwined together.

She gasped.

"What? What is it sweetheart?" I looked into her eyes. Those beautiful milk chocolate eyes.

"The hole, it's gone… You took it away." She looked at me, bewildered.

"Hole?" I shook my head.

"When they left there was a hole in my chest. Right _here_," she pointed at her heart, "but right now, it feels even more healed than when I was with Alice. It feels like it was never there,"

I smiled. I had the feeling we were getting somewhere. "I don't understand,"

"Do you remember when you saw me doubling over, like I couldn't breathe? Whenever I was reminded of them, that was the hole in my chest doing that. I thought it would never go away. But, Jacob, you're making me feel more whole than I felt even when I was with him…"

She held on to me tighter. "Never leave. Please, never leave. You're so warm." A single tear rolled down her cheek. It broke my heart. I hated what they did to her. I hated it.

"Never," I whispered.

She looked up. "How's the pack?"

"They're great. Emily wants you over. I think it's a good idea," I smiled hopefully.

"Yeah? Okay," Her voice broke. She was so weak.

"I'll help you, don't worry," I got up, still holding her every step of the way. She was so _thin_, and so cold. I helped her stand.

"Charlie? I'm going to take Bella to Emily Young's! Just to get her out, maybe put something in her stomach!" I yelled to Charlie, to which I got an amazed, "That sounds good," and then a soft thump and some snores. He was so exhausted.

"Don't let go," Bella said. She took one shaky step.

"Absolutely not. Take your time," I nodded in encouragement, tortured on the inside at her state of physical and mental decay. If that bloodsucker ever came back, I would kill him. I wouldn't tell Bella, drop no hint towards the idea, but I would kill him. And I would let him feel how much pain he had caused.

We made it to her truck, and I started the engine and headed for the reservation.

Bella huddled close to me the whole time, addicted to my warmth. I hoped it wasn't just my body temperature that kept her near. But it didn't really matter right now; as long as she was feeling _something_.

"Bella, I really hate to ask you this, but was it this bad the first time?"

"Worse. So much worse. I didn't have you then. I don't even remember most of it; it's all a blur. Charlie says I hardly moved from one chair in my room for several months. I barely ate. I couldn't sleep with all the nightm-" she flinched, "I don't want to talk about that anymore Jake,"

"Of course. I'm so sorry"

"It's okay. The important thing is that you're here. It's funny, but I feel like something changed between us after she left," Bella paused to breathe, "it's like… you're it, you know? I'm sorry; not trying to be too serious. I'm just… glad you're here, Jake," I saw her smile for the first time in a long time.

"I've waited a long time for you to say that," I looked down. Sam was right. The pull of imprinting was strong for both involved. Adoration washed over me. I thought of the time a few days ago when we had almost kissed. Surely she felt a little bit of what I felt in that moment.

It was then when she sat up and kissed me on the cheek.

And I felt hope.


	3. Waltz

_**A/N:**__ Thanks so much for your reviews! Not as many as I had hoped, but I'm sure it'll get better as the chapters get more interesting. I greatly appreciate those who do take their time to click a button and type some words. EVERY little bit counts. Also, please continue to give suggestions. I don't usually do much planning -save the basics- beforehand. Until I get a concrete idea of where I want to go, it's all up in the air!  
>Also, in case you were curious, the reason Jacob imprinted on Bella so late is because after the Cullens were gone for good, the fate was changed and Renesmee would never exist. Therefore, Jacob's best match then became Bella, and so Jacob imprinted on her then. Just thought I'd share my own reasoning. Makes sense, doesn't it? :D<br>I'm sorry if the switching back and forth between points of view gets confusing, I just kept seeing the scene from each of their perspectives and it just came out this way. I hope you understand.  
>Please enjoy this chapter! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW.<br>By the way, one more thing: HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I hope you ate lots and lots! I know I did. :)_

**-Chapter 3-**

**Bella's POV**

The drive to Emily's little house was very quiet after that. Neither of us had much to say. But it was a comfortable silence. Jacob seemed happy. I guess I knew why.

It was so _easy_ with him. I could be completely honest without any hesitation. It was such a wonderful feeling; to not keep secrets. To not hold back anything or be careful or worry about whether or not I was good enough. He was different. I was beginning to let myself hope.

It wasn't long before we pulled up in their driveway. I didn't know why they were being so hospitable. Was I really that pathetic?

Jacob helped me out of the car and up the porch stairs that seemed to never end. I was already winded far before we made it all the way. When I finally reached the top, I saw my reflection on their glass door.

Oh _God_.

The girl in front of me was an alien. She probably weighed 90 pounds; her legs were twigs, her face pale and sunken, dark circles under her eyes, and an expression that was so pitifully depressed it hurt to look at. She wasn't me. She couldn't be.

All the hope left. All the possibilities of Jacob loving me, of anyone loving me, vanished with a trace so nonexistent I started to believe it had never been there at all.

Jacob followed my gaze and flinched. Then he pulled me closer into his embrace.

"It's okay," he whispered, "we'll be fine," He spoke in a way that suggested my happiness was in any way proportional to his, which I couldn't let myself believe. He kissed the top of my head, something he had to bend pretty far down to accomplish. I was over a foot shorter than him.

We didn't have to knock for them to rush to the door. Emily was close behind Sam; her wary face outlined by her scars. I barely noticed them anymore; her beauty shined through anything.

I noticed that Paul and Embry were inside, too. Neither had an imprint to spend time with, so they stayed here, where they were welcome and didn't have to feel the wrath of their misunderstanding parents, berating them about throwing their lives away in some kind of gang. If only it were that simple.

Then I noticed that everyone was looking at _me_.

Paul and Embry had stopped stuffing their faces with what looked like a pretty big spread on the dinner table. Sam gulped uncomfortably, and Emily looked like she was about to cry. I felt so horrible. I was putting a damper on a perfectly good day. I looked down in shame, not wanting to meet anyone's eyes.

"Come on in," Sam smiled, shaken, but full of welcome.

Their reactions were even worse than I had anticipated. How had I gotten so hideous? How could Jacob stand to be around me? I didn't deserve his love. If that's what it was. It was most likely pity.

Yes. Pity for the poor, broken girl. He would stay around until he was sure I wouldn't kill myself, and then he would bolt. I didn't blame him one bit. I was just thankful for his charity for as long as I had gotten it.

I wasn't being fair to him. I needed to let him know that he didn't have to put up with me anymore. I would lie and tell him I could deal with the pain as long as he was happy. And I would try to live and move on, for Charlie.

Even though I knew in the back of my mind that I couldn't; this pain would eventually have to be ended, and not well.

But until then, I would hold on as long as I could.

**Jacob's POV**

There are no words.

There are no words to describe how hard it was to watch her struggle up that tiny flight of stairs. Five stairs, _five stairs_, had caused her legs to shake with effort.

No one else had helped either; they were all staring at her like she was some kind of freak; like she wasn't the sickly but beautiful little angel she so obviously was.

They quickly ushered us in, and stopped staring after I shot each a warning glance.

Emily gave Bella a warm but gentle hug. "How about something to eat?" She gestured to Paul and Embry to scoot over, to which they quickly obliged.

I smiled and led Bella over to the table where she sat very carefully, and I took my place beside her.

I was happy when Bella took some and began to nibble. No one else ate; seemingly out of a mixture of guilt if they had and loss of appetite anyway.

Soon, Bella's bites became larger, and her appetite returned. I beamed.

Some gentle, relieved conversation ensued while we made sure the friend in need ate her fill. She _seemed_ to eat until she was full, which was hardly anything by my standards, but it was a start. After she finished, even Bella began to make casual interjections- even a joke or two. They weren't funny, but everyone laughed anyway, if only to build her self-esteem just a little. She could bring out the kindness in anyone. She was so wonderful like that.

At about 9:00 Bella started yawning, and I decided it was best to take her home. She waved, but everyone got up and gave her a hug, even Paul. I saw a smile on her face, and my heart melted.

On the drive home, I held her close to me. She cuddled even closer, almost sitting on my lap. Her breathing became more steady, and I realized she was asleep. I listened, knowing she always talked in her sleep. It was mostly unintelligible, but some murmurs stuck in my mind.

"Jacob, I love you, Jacob, Jacob, please… stay…"

It hurt to hear her say that, but her trust had been broken through no fault of my own. I wasn't sure if she could ever trust again, but if anyone had the persistence to earn it back, it was me. I just had to believe that.

But most importantly, she said _I love you_. She said it! I had always known it, but she said it! I couldn't contain my elation. My heart swelled, and my lips pulled back into a smile so big my face hurt.

"I love you too, Bella. I love you so much. I'll never leave. I'll always be here," I whispered to her, hoping it would enter her dreams.

She smiled a little, so I guessed it had.

When we reached her house, I picked her up carefully and got out swiftly, trying not to wake her up, and then closed the door behind me with my foot. The slam made her flinch a little, but didn't wake her up entirely. I breathed a sigh of relief.

I walked up to her front door with as much ease as I would have if she wasn't even there. Of course, I would have felt the same with someone who weighed 250 pounds, but still, she was _so light_. She was like a delicate, beautiful porcelain doll. I wanted to kiss her and hold her, keep her warm and safe and make her mine forever. After she healed.

I opened her door, which was unlocked, -we needed to have a discussion about that- only to find that Charlie was still asleep. I took that as forgiveness for Bella being back late, and took her silently up to her room.

She only woke up when I set her down on the bed and tried to pull the covers over her. Her eyelids fluttered a little and she said groggily, "Jake?"

"Shh, honey. Go to sleep. I'm right here,"

"It's so cold," she shivered.

Without any hesitation, I kicked my boots off and slipped under the covers with her.

"Come here," I said, opening my arms. She gratefully climbed in, and the effect of my body temperature was almost immediate.

"Mmm…" she sighed.

I rested my chin on her head, perfectly content with never leaving this moment, right here.

**Bella's POV**

"Hey Jake?" I whispered, fully awake now and realizing what I had to do.

"Hm?" he grunted, almost asleep himself.

"I have to be serious for a sec. Wake up," I nudged him.

"What is it, hun?" His eyes were wide open now.

"I know what you're doing, but you don't have to keep pretending for me. I'll be okay," I made a face that was as close to a smile as I could muster.

"What are you talking about?" He looked shocked.

"I know that you've been hanging around me out of pity lately. I can never repay you for all the kindness you've shown me. I also know at one point you really thought we had some potential for being more than this, but I've completely shut you out. I don't blame you for giving up on me now, so you can. I can let you go; I can let you live your life. I'll learn to suck it up and deal with life, and I'll let you move on with yours. I'm not being fair to you at all. I love you, so I want you to be happy. I've given up on myself, so I'm giving you the chance to do the same," I was on the verge of tears. I couldn't cry, I couldn't show him that I was lying. I had to be strong for him.

He sat there with his mouth open for a very long time. Finally, he spoke.

"Bella, is that honestly why you think I'm sticking around? Pity?" He shook his head.

"Isn't it? I mean, why else would you? No one wants me. I don't blame them,"

"Bella," he took my hands, "I love you with my heart and soul, every bone and muscle in my body. I am not going anywhere, because you are _everything_ to me,"

I didn't believe him. How could he possibly feel that way? Who could possibly feel that way about me now? I had hurt so many people, I was so broken, I was a broken shell of a human being, unneeded by the world. I wanted to hide and never emerge again. It wasn't self-pity, it was self-hatred; well-deserved self-hatred.

"Look, I know you're lying, and words can't express how wonderful you are or how much I owe you for trying like this, but really, you don't have to pretend anymore,"

He looked so intense then. He was almost angry.

"Bella. You look _right_ at my face and read my lips. I. Love. You. You are beautiful and special and I don't ever want to hear you talk about yourself like that again. Sure, you're not well right now, but I'm here for you, and you're just going to have to deal with it,"

I started to believe him. I was shocked, but I did. There was some kind of undeniable truth in his words. I couldn't ignore it.

"I'm sorry," my voice cracked, "but either your lips are speaking a different language or they're just trying to beat a dead horse," I smiled halfheartedly. "Really, you don't have to be this persistent,"

"Really? You can't read them? Well, maybe they speak _this_ language,"

He pressed his lips to mine, forcefully but not painfully, and everything was on fire.

It ripped through my entire body, through every vein and artery, from my chest to my fingers and toes, and I felt whole. I felt real, I felt right, and I felt Jacob. Oh, did I ever. I thought I knew him, I thought I knew every supple curve of his russet body, but I didn't know half. _This_ was him. This kiss was like a joining of souls, locking in place and dancing together in some delightful waltz that never ended or began. It was eternal, like we had just met, but at the same time, we had never left since the beginning of beginnings.

"You feel that," Jacob said, panting, "that's what two halves of a soul feel like," He pressed his lips to mine again, and I didn't hold back any more than he did.

I had heard the metaphors before, the ones about you not being a soul, but half of one, that could only be made whole by your perfect match. This was what they meant. This, right here, was the half that I had been missing.

I had never felt this way with Edward. Never.

I almost laughed out loud at my ability to think is actual name without an ounce of pain. None at all. I was whole again. No, more than whole, I was doubled. I was part of something I never knew existed, but now that I had it, I couldn't live without it. He was mine. I was his. All thoughts of ridding myself of this life were history. This was the most incredible form of euphoria I had ever known or cared to know, and I wanted to live it every moment of every day for the rest of forever.

"Now that language," I rasped, "I think I know,"

"From somewhere long ago," Jacob whispered dreamily, completing my thought.

And our souls danced their waltz again as our lips did the same.


	4. Secrets

_**A/N (PLEASE READ): **__So, I'm beginning to get really upset. I posted the 3__rd__ chapter Thursday night, waited the full day Friday and most of today (Saturday), and there were absolutely no reviews. I was about to blame it on Black Friday absences, but when I checked the visitor stats they were the highest yet. So that means either something's wrong or there is a substantial lack of reviewing. This really doesn't make sense to me, because I've always gotten more reviews with this many visits. I truly don't understand.  
>I am putting my work into this story, trying to make it enjoyable and right for <em>you_. I would have hoped that the least you could do was give me some feedback, ANY kind, good or bad. I'm sorry to do this, but I'm going to have to issue an ultimatum. If you do not start posting more reviews, I am halting this story until further notice. And I'm going to be totally honest, once I halt something, I tend to not go back to it.  
>I don't want to punish those who are loyal to this story, and right now you're the only thing keeping me going, but that won't last for long. I am beginning to lose faith. If you really want this to continue, just review. If you do not, say so in a review as well, and I'll move on to other things that hopefully you enjoy more, or just spend my time more productively, because honestly I have more important things to do than waste my time with a story nobody seems to care about.<br>This chapter was mainly for the above message to you, so due to that and my obvious lack of inspiration as of late, it is very short and mostly a filler, with a touch of comedy. Enjoy._

**-Chapter 4-**

Noting else had happened since that one inexplicable night, we hadn't even talked about it, but I was slowly beginning to heal. I was getting back to a healthy weight, the color was back in my cheeks, and I felt… _okay_. And okay was more than I ever thought I would feel again.

I spent every day still slightly unconvinced that Jacob wanted to be around me. I didn't deserve someone like him; someone so unconditionally kind and understanding. He insisted that he didn't deserve me, which really made no sense.

But it wasn't just my own admittedly low self-esteem; his actions _really_ didn't make sense; the way he had to be around me all the time, his hatred of us being apart, the way he was delighted to drop anything and do anything for me in the blink of an eye… was all a little strange.

I had voiced my suspicions before, several times, and Jacob always said something like, "I love you. Do I need a better reason than that?" or, "Why do you question something that makes us both so happy? You are happy, right? Because if you want me gone, I understand…" and then I would spend a good ten minutes convincing him just how badly I wanted him around. It was ridiculous.

I had _had_ it with the weird.

"Jacob! I love you with all of my heart and soul, but it doesn't make any sense that you would be so willing to sacrifice everything for me. What changed, Jacob? Why do you love me?" My voice got quiet near at the end.

"Bella, first of all, I don't understand why you don't understand," he glared at me lovingly, which I hadn't thought was possible before then, "but there _is_ something I haven't told you,"

"HA!" I jumped up, "I _knew_ it!"

"It's nothing sinister or anything, just… really weird. But I think it might be better explained at this bonfire we're having tonight. Dad'll be telling some of the tribe's stories, and you might learn a little about this whole wolf thing, since I hope you'll be sticking around," he tried to laugh, but he was a serious about the last part, I could tell.

"Of course I'll be sticking around, Jacob, and I'd love to learn more. But aren't those stories secret?"

"There are exceptions for some non-tribe-members. You are an example. You'll find out why,"

I hated Jacob's ambiguity, but it was definitely piquing my curiosity.

"All right," I sighed.

The rest of the day passed without incident, and before I knew it, it was dark.

I stood there in front of my closet, in my underwear, wondering what I should wear. Was this some kind of formal thing? Was this going to include ancient tribal rituals? Dancing around the fire? Did they still do that? I didn't disrespect the idea, but I would feel really out of place…

My thought was interrupted by Jacob knocking at the door, and then the sound of him letting himself in.

"Shit!" I swore, looking at the clock. Seven PM on the dot. Damn his punctuality.

"What's wrong?" Jacob yelled, running up the stairs.

"NO! NO! Don't come in here!" I was too late.

"Oh! Sorry Bells," He took one look at my scantily clad form and closed the door again. In the hall, I could hear him dying with laughter. I couldn't help joining in.

"Last thing I expected to see, but I can't say I'm upset about it," I could hear the sly smile in his voice.

"Shut up, Jacob!" I laughed, and quickly threw on just a pair of jeans and a T-Shirt, based on the glimpse I got of Jacob's casual wear.

I opened the door with my head hung low, trying to hide my almost certainly bright red face.

"It's okay, Bella. I have two older sisters. Against my better judgment, I've seen much worse from, let's be honest here, women far less attractive than you," Jacob shuddered.

I gasped and smacked his arm as hard as I could, hoping to cause at least a little bit of pain. I doubted he even felt it. "Hey! Rachel and Rebecca are beautiful!"

"Sure!" he nodded his head fervently in mock agreement.

I scowled.

He sighed, letting me win as always. "I'm sorry, Bells. The point is that you don't have to be self-conscious. Best friends, right?"

I smiled a little and took his hand.

"Let's go to the party," he said, and dragged me away to meet the secrets I wasn't sure I wanted to know.


	5. Truths

_**A/N:**__ My temper tantrum is now over. Thank you so much to all those who reviewed. Please continue to do so. And we can forget that ugly mess ever happened. I truly thank all of my positive reviewers. I love you all; virtual hugs for every single one of you! Please bear with me when I get discouraged by lack of reviews; I mean no disrespect.  
>Some of you have voiced the opinion that this story is moving quickly, which I do agree with wholeheartedly, but remember that this is set at the end of New Moonbeginning of Eclipse, so it's been a long time coming, and the bond between Imprints is very strong, so that's speeding things up as well. Also note that they haven't talked about that one moment of passion since it happened, so it was still a shock for both. I've tried to communicate the confusion and uncertainty of their romantic status in this chapter, so sorry if it's confusing. I'm trying to make things realistic, but it's also quite a challenge when I really just want to delve into the romance!  
>Please enjoy this chapter.<em> _:) It is the longest yet and, if I do say so myself, probably the best chapter I've ever written in any of my stories. Review!_

-Chapter 5-

Jacob was practically jumping up and down on the way to La Push. I couldn't tell if it was out of nervousness or excited-ness. Possibly both.

"I don't want you to give yourself a brain hemorrhage. Just how important is this? Should I be preparing myself for something? Divine interventions and epiphanies?" I laughed nervously, not quite kidding.

"No, no!" he laughed, "I'm just… glad you're coming is all. I just hope we all understand ourselves better after this. I've heard the stories before, but I wasn't really paying attention. I didn't really know how… _legitimate_ it was at the time,"

"Jacob, what does this have to do with me?" I began biting my nails, a habit I thought I had broken.

"I already told you, you'll see! I could explain it to you, but I think it would make a lot more sense if you heard the stories behind it; what it means and why it happens,"

"Jacob, this is really starting to annoy me," I said indignantly.

He squeezed my hand. "I'm sorry, Bells. If you really want me to tell you, I can. But it won't make any sense to you, and it won't be near as interesting,"

I heaved a giant sigh. "Fine. But if this is something really creepy…"

"I hope you won't find it creepy," Jacob sounded sad.

I thought it best not to answer.

When we got to the clearing in the woods near the beach, everyone was surprisingly happy to see me. Possibly because of my obvious mental and physical improvement.

"Hey Jake! Hey Bella!" they each called.

I sat down next to Emily and she smiled and gave me a hug.

"It's nice to have you here, Bella. You look like you're feeling better,"

"I am, Emily. Things are a lot easier with Jake," I felt Jacob squeeze my hand, even though he was busy having an in-depth conversation with Paul about whether beef or pork hot dogs were better, and whether relish was an appropriate condiment to go with ketchup.

"So, you guys official yet?" Jared said, smirking.

"Uh…" I got red. What could I say? Things had happened, but we were still friends, right? Best friends? A little close, but I wasn't ready for a real relationship yet. But saying we _just_ friends would be a lie, and it would hurt Jake's feelings.

"Just… taking things one step at a time, I guess," Jacob intervened.

Perfect! Why didn't I think of that?

"Yeah," I nodded, feeling really awkward.

Jared shrugged and turned his attention to the girl beside him. She had a homely but not unattractive face, and she had an absent expression in her eyes, like she was somewhere far away. Until her eyes met with Jared's, and she snapped back to reality, while Jared gained her absent gaze. The exchange was almost comical, if not for the way Jared looked at her.

He stared in complete admiration, like she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen; some divine gift sent down by the gods. Like a mother with her newborn child- that was how he looked at her. But what caught my attention was the eerie sense of familiarity from that look. I had seen it before on someone else's face. Jacob's face.

"Can it, guys. He's starting," Sam said authoritatively. I snapped out of my concentration, and Billy began to speak.

I had never known this about him before, but Billy was an excellent storyteller. His voice was even and smooth, never faltering, and he had a way of painting a picture in your mind.

I was fascinated with what he had to say. The tribe had such a rich history. And judging by the credibility of the proof I had sitting around me in a big circle, it was probably true. Although, I was slightly unnerved by the stories of the "cold ones"; I had, many times, experienced the wrath that vampires could lash out. Thinking of that made me think of the Cullens, and it stung the ever-present raw edges of the hole in my chest. I quickly tuned out such dangerous thoughts.

There were two things that particularly stuck out to me. One was the story of the third wife.

It was about a vampire who was terrorizing the village, avenging her mate who was killed by the werewolves. Many people were dead or dying, and the rest were trying frantically to escape. The third wife of the chief was a wise woman, who knew that the fight would be lost if she didn't do something. So, she did the only thing she could think of. She took a knife from her dead son's belongings, and stuck it into her chest. She hoped that the blood would distract the vampire long enough for the wolves to kill her. She was right. She died soon after, but she saved the tribe.

My head was swimming after hearing that. I had always felt vulnerable and unable to help in a world of people so much more powerful and important than me. But maybe one day, I could still prove my worth and be the one to save the day. Maybe I would get a chance to make a sacrifice for the greater good, and protect those I loved even though I had no real power; just like the third wife.

Or maybe I was having childish fantasies, spawned from my own lack of sense of self-worth compared to all the other cool supernatural beings I couldn't seem to get away from. The latter was probably true, but for the fun of it, I pretended otherwise.

The second thing that stuck with me was this part called "imprinting."

Billy seemed to think this very important, so he talked about it in a lot of detail. Apparently the pack thought it rather crucial as well, because they were listening extremely intently. That was probably why it stuck out to me so much- the emphasis put onto it.

"Imprinting," Billy had said, "is a very rare but very important part of what we are. It is how wolves find mates; we believe it is meant to ensure the continuation of the wolf gene, but it is also a display of perfect compatibility and harmony between the one who has imprinted and the one imprinted upon. One only imprints on the one he is 'meant to be with,' you could say." Sam and Jared, for some reason, nodded in agreement.

Billy continued. "The experience of imprinting is not unlike love at first sight, but it is much more binding than love or mere infatuation. A permanent, unbreakable connection is made between imprints. They cannot spend _days_ apart from each other without intense pain, let alone longer," Billy paused momentarily when a few people snickered. I wondered what was funny.

"However, the strongest bond is on the side of the one who imprinted. In his view of the world, nothing is more important, more vital, than the safety and happiness of his imprint. No one, not even family or any loved one is more important than her. He will do whatever she wants, be _whoever_ she needs him to be, -a friend, brother, or lover- all with the intention of making her as satisfied with life as possible. That is what is most important to him,"

He went on, but I got the gist. And I wasn't sure what to think. The idea was a little strange. Did they completely lose themselves when that happened? It sounded like it. And everyone seemed so interested; had any of the pack members imprinted? And what about Jacob? Was there a chance that could happen to him?

No. I couldn't lose him to some mystical wolf connection he had with another girl. I had to matter to him somewhat, even if that did happen. We were closer than that. We always would be.

Right?

I was so worried. I spent the entire rest of the "party" mulling it over.

Billy had said it was a rare occurrence. So there was a chance, and a very good one, that that would never happen to Jacob. Statistics were in our favor that Jacob would stay himself, and we could be happy together, as friends or whatever we wanted to be; I would think about that later.

When the stories were over, it was still kind of early. I decided to take this time to talk.

"Hey Jake, you want to walk with me for a sec?"

"Sure, Bella," Jacob was wary. I felt like he knew what was coming.

We strolled out onto the sand, and he took my hand instinctively. We had done this as friends, so what was different now?

"So…" Jacob broke the silence, "what did you think of the stories?"

"They were really cool. I mean, your dad's a great storyteller. The third wife story was kind of neat. Very… inspiring," I chuckled, "but there was something that I wanted to ask you about,"

"I'm all ears, Bells,"

"Well, that whole imprinting thing," I felt Jacob freeze, "has that happened to anyone in the pack?"

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, it has," He looked down.

"Just one of you, right?" My heart started racing.

"Four," he said quietly.

I stopped walking entirely. "_Four_?"

"Yeah," he looked up at me, "Trust me, we thought it was rare. But apparently it isn't as rare as they say. Everyone's started giving up on outside relationships; they're all afraid of breaking someone's heart, like Leah,"

"Who's Leah?" I asked.

"I'll explain later," he waved the question away, "Point is, it's become a real problem,"

I was close to crying at that moment. One day, it could be tomorrow or several years from now, but one day, I was going to lose him.

"Oh," my voice broke, "Who already has?"

"Sam, Jared, and Quil," Jacob sighed.

"That's three," I said dryly.

"Yeah,"

"You said there were four," I narrowed my eyes.

"Yeah,"

"Jacob, who else was it?" The tears were about to spill over.

"Just tell me this, Bella," he pleaded, "what do you think of the idea of imprinting? I mean, does it freak you out? Does the idea… _repulse_ you? Be honest with me,"

"I don't know, Jacob. It's a little weird. The main thing I don't like is that the person who imprints seems to lose himself; like the only thing that matters is her, and he won't be the same person anymore for the rest of his life,"

"That's not true Bella. I am still- I mean _they_ are still the same person. They still love other people, it's just that she'll always matter the most," his voice was gentle.

"But that's not fair! If I were in that position, I wouldn't want to be put ahead of everyone else. That doesn't seem right," I shook my head.

"It is, Bella, you just don't see it the right way,"

"Well, what's the _right_ way, Jacob? The way I see it is that someone I've never met would be sacrificing his entire life just to fulfill mine!" I yelled, getting upset.

"It doesn't have to be someone you've never met, Bella," Jacob said quietly.

"What? What does that have to do with it?" I was annoyed and confused.

He took both of my hands in his. "What if it was your friend, your best friend, and they loved you and you loved them, and suddenly you just became even more important to them, even though they thought you couldn't _be_ any more important than you already were? What if they just wanted to spend every day with you for the rest of their lives and didn't ask for anything in return but your presence? How is that a bad thing?" His voice was getting hoarse near the end.

"Jacob, I have a feeling we're not speaking hypothetically anymore," I was the quiet one now.

"We aren't, Bella," he looked at me meaningfully.

"You… me…" I pointed at the both of us. I was having trouble forming coherent sentences.

"Imprints?" he smiled, "Yes,"

I let out a large burst of air. This fixed problems, but made others.

"You still care about others too? Your family and friends?" I questioned.

"Of course, Bella. Just… not as much as you,"

I finally started crying. "I can't do that, Jacob! I can't take so much away from you!"

"It's okay, Bella! Really! I love my dad, I love my sisters, I love my friends and my pack brothers. Please believe that. You're just the most important thing in the world to me,"

"Okay," I said in a weak voice.

"Bella, nothing else has changed," he smiled, pulling my chin up with his index finger.

"And you love me?" I said in a stronger voice.

"With every fiber of my being. You know that,"

"And you'll never leave?" I started smiling.

"Bella, the _idea_ causes me actual physical pain," his voice was strained.

I slammed into him and wrapped my arms around him as tightly as I could.

"Then I'm happy," the tears didn't stop flowing. I was so relieved. I still had my Jacob, he wasn't going to imprint, because he had imprinted on _me_, and everything was all right.

"That's all I want," he wrapped his long arms around my waist, lifted me up, and spun me around in the classic Jacob Black bear hug.

"So what does this mean, for us?" I asked after he set me down.

"It means whatever you want it to. As long as we're together," he took my hand again.

"I like the sound of that," I said.

As cheesy as it sounds, for the rest of the night, we walked along the beach. The full moon reflected on the water, and casted the shadows of two figures on the sand; remembering the good, looking forward to the better, and always moving forward, hand in hand.


	6. List

_**A/N:**__ Hey guys! So sorry about the long wait. As the semester ends, schoolwork does NOT let up; in fact, as most of you know, it gets much, much worse. Fear not, however- this plight of slow updates is not permanent. I get out for winter vacation December 16, exactly two weeks from today! After that, I hope to dedicate a lot of time to this and crank out some awesome stuff.  
>I'd also like to give a real quick thank-you for everyone's fantastic reviews. You have no idea how much I love you and appreciate you every day. I read every single comment (I get automatic updates to my phone.) and try to reply to most of them. Please know that your voice is always heard and appreciated, no matter how big or small. Also, to only fuel your reviews further I have a question. Who's point of view do you want to see more of: Jacob's or Bella's? I seem to be able to write equally as prolifically in both, so I am totally open to whatever you want. I still want to do both though, just give me your feedback on how you like them.<br>I apologize again and here is this very sweet and extremely important chapter. Enjoy! :) REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. _

**-Chapter 6-**

It was almost like life couldn't make up its mind about what it wanted to do with Bella Swan. But if myth was correct and everything _did_ have a plan, its list of steps for my life right after I set foot in Forks went a little like this:

1. It would drop me into the world of the supernatural, and it wanted to make me happier than anyone in the world. It would give me beauty and love and reason for existing.

2. It would rip my world out from under my feet, tear my heart from my chest, throw it across the room and step on it. It would bury me so deep that I couldn't resurface, never wanted to resurface, because numbness was better than emptiness and agony.

3. It would throw me a lifeline named Jacob Black, and bring me right back to the mysterious world of magic that I was forbidden to remember.

4. It would give me a glimmer of hope, and then take it away again. Repeat step 2.

5. It would leave me only with a sun so massive and beautiful that it outshined anything else, what had healed me before (see step 2 and 4) and would gladly do it a thousand times, because that's what it existed for. It wanted to give me love and kindness and happiness that outshined anything else I had ever experienced, even the kind from step 1.

Before, I couldn't decide which was more perfect: Edward or Jacob. Ice or fire. Vampire or werewolf. Such opposites in so many ways, yin and yang, and yet they both fit me like a glove.

Before, this was a problem. Before, I couldn't decide which fit me better.

But that was the past.

Of course, I didn't have much choice in the matter, but for some reason, it felt like I did. It was probably just my subconscious compensating with a false sense of control, but it made me feel better about the almost instinctual need I felt to be around Jacob. I had never felt like that with Edward. I didn't feel in _love_ like I did now. With Edward it felt more like infatuation… even obsession.

Wait.

Had I just admitted to myself that I was in love? Was that what this was? It couldn't be. It had been almost a year since Edward left, but I expected never to heal. I wasn't healed, but healing. I was on the mend. And I had Jacob to thank for that- it was more than I ever could have hoped of feeling.

So why couldn't I just give him a chance? He had "imprinted" on me, hadn't he? Didn't that mean we were supposed to be together? So why couldn't I just move on, just let go, and let something natural happen, the way it was meant to be?

I was shocked when I could not come up with an answer.

So here is where step 6 finally came in.

6. It would finally let me accept what was meant to be all along.

I scratched down every single one of these steps on a piece of paper, folded it up and put it in my drawer under my underwear, somewhere I knew no one would ever look.

When I had everything written down, somehow it all made sense. I wanted to scream with joy, something I was shocked to feel. I was so elated, and the shock of being elated only caused more elation. It was an endless snowball effect, and I loved every minute of it. I just sat there on my bed, smiling, enjoying the tingling feeling developing into an electric shock going from my chest to my toes.

Of three things I was absolutely positive:

First, I was in love with Jacob, and more so than I ever had been or would be for any other.

Second, there was a part of my love for Edward -and I didn't know how dominant that part was- that was simply infatuation.

And third, I was completely okay with both of those things.

If this whole imprinting thing was how I thought it was, then Jacob probably loved me too, and all was right with the world. There was only one more thing.

"Where do we go from here?" I whispered to myself.

"I was hoping you would make that decision, since I have the day off and all. If that's a rhetorical question, though, I guess I'm speaking out of context," I heard a husky voice chuckle behind me.

I gasped and jumped up.

"JACOB! Jesus, you scared the shit out of me," I swore in surprise as Jacob pulled me up into his bear hug and spun me around. Managing to not smack my feet against anything was quite an accomplishment on both of our parts.

"Yeah, I guess magic powers do give me a bit of an unfair advantage," he shrugged, "but it's pretty fun."

"Fun for _you_." I narrowed my eyes in mock anger, but who was I kidding? I couldn't stay angry at that face. That face that was so _Jacob_ I couldn't help but smile. I was home when I saw it.

He held on to me for a little longer than was friendly, but I didn't want to pull away immediately.

"Jacob," I swallowed, suddenly nervous, "I think it's time that we talked about… a few nights ago,"

"Oh," he looked around, uncomfortable.

I figured it was time to tell him. Why wait?

"I don't know how you feel about it, but I felt something more than just a mistake made by friends," I looked down sheepishly.

Jacob was shocked. "So, you mean, you feel good about it?"

"I understand if you didn't feel the same way. I know how fast it all happened, but it felt really major, even though we didn't , y'know, go _all the way_ or anything close to that," I said the last part as kind of a mumble, embarrassed.

"Bella, what kind of insanity would possess you to think that kissing you wasn't the best thing that's ever happened to me?" Jacob was bewildered.

"I guess I figured that you didn't mind… but really? Best ever?" I smiled.

"Ever," he amended.

"Mine too," I admitted, pursing my lips.

"So…" Jacob's eyes sparkled.

"J-Jacob, I…" I breathed, "over these past few months, you've been such a godsend. You've been my best friend through everything that's happened. It's expected that that kind of thing tends to change both involved; and I know how you feel, especially with the whole imprinting thing. So I want you to know that I think I've begun to reciprocate those feelings,"

"What exactly do you mean, Bella?" Jacob whispered, daring to hope.

"Jacob, I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you," I looked right into his eyes for the first time.

The smile that spread across his lips shocked me. It was… _smug_.

"I knew it," he whispered, his voice dripping with emotion now, "I knew it!" he repeated, yelling this time.

And that was when the smugness went away and was replaced by pure joy.

"Bella, you have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that. Really. No Earthly idea whatsoever," He whooped, grabbed my hand and pulled me down the stairs.

"What do you want to do today, Bella? We can do anything you want. I just want to be around you. I'm so happy I could sing, and that's something no one wants to hear," he laughed, drunk on happiness.

"Jacob, I don't want you to get the wrong ideas about things. There's still a long road of recovery ahead for me," I was quiet.

"I know, Bella. I know. And I'm not going to rush you into anything. Just as long as you love me, and not just as a friend, then I can live with anything life throws at us. I mean that,"

"Okay," I smiled. This was going to be the easiest thing in the world. Like breathing.

"How about we go hiking today, Jacob? There's something I need to show you,"

"Great!" he beamed, "Like what?"

"It's a surprise," I smiled and went to the supply closet to get my hiking boots that I barely used. I also grabbed the map on which I had marked the spot, and a compass.

My expedition to this place had been disappointing and then horrifying the last time, but I had a feeling this would be different. It was like the meadow was an extension of my heart, my soul; some kind of wonderland meant only for me and the one I loved. It was the divine secret only I could unlock, after Edward brought it to me. I did have things to thank him for. I knew then why I couldn't find it with Jacob when we were just friends, and why I found it dead when I was alone. I wouldn't be able to find it until the time was right. It was like Narnia.

I momentarily chuckled at the similarity.

"Let's go," I smiled, grabbing my keys on the way out the door.

Jacob followed, still puzzled.

I drove to the location without a moment's consideration, as if I drove there every day.

"Hey, I think I know this spot," Jacob nodded, smiling.

"Mhm," I smiled, giving no hints, "C'mon," I took his hand.

The hike wasn't as long as I had remembered; probably because this time I knew exactly where I was going. It was no time at all before we had broken into the clearing.

The scene before me was from a fairytale.

It was beautiful- so much more beautiful than it had ever been before. There were flowers _everywhere_. The sun was shining on the rich green grass, and filtering through the trees dispersed here and there. This was the type of place where you expected to see a unicorn nibbling on the grass, or sleeping beauty to come dancing in from the woods, picking flowers.

"Oh my God," Jacob whispered, taking my hand instinctively.

"It's incredible, isn't it? This is the most bloomed it's ever been. It only blooms when…" I trailed off.

"When what?" Jacob whispered.

"When I'm complete," I smiled at him.

"So, so he brought you here first," Jacob said quietly, looking away.

"Yes. I guess I have to thank him for that. But it was never this perfect before. And I think… well, I don't think, I _know_, that it's because you're here,"

"So you're saying that this place some kind of a reflection of you?" Jacob looked at me curiously.

"It _is_ me. It's my soul. And now it belongs to both of us,"

Jacob looked at me now, gently and full of admiration.

"Take care of it for me. You've proved who you are and what you're worth, and now that I've let you in, I can't go back. Not again," I swallowed at the magnitude of the sacrifice I was making.

"Bella," he whispered.

I just looked at him. I was emotionally drained.

"In light of everything, there's some things I need to say," He cleared his throat, like he was about to deliver a very important speech, which he was.

He looked right into my eyes. "Bella, you're it for me. And I'm not one for emotional speeches, but, thank you. Thank you for… just being you. Because you," he took my hand and put it on his heart, "you complete me. Right here. And not only is it the imprinting that makes it impossible for me to ever betray what you've given me, it's you too. You're _her_, you're the other half to my whole, and you always will be," He paused to shake his head in bewilderment.

He had more to say, though, and he continued. "I'm so thankful that you love me too, Bella, and that you've given me your heart. I'll cherish it forever, because I know what you've been through. I saw every up and down. I was there with you. I can't believe you can trust me, but thank you. You know you had my heart the second you came up on my doorstep with our motorcycles, and nothing's changed. I loved you then and I love you now, and that will never change,"

I didn't realize I was crying until Jacob was wiping my tears with his thumb. This was so sickeningly sappy and so heartbreakingly wonderful that crying was, against my better judgment, really all I could do.

And then I kissed him. Or he kissed me. I wasn't sure which, and I really didn't care.

It felt every bit as wonderful as the first time. I kissed him with everything I had—I put every bit of love I felt in that kiss. I was shocked at how much of it was unlocked as our lips tangled. It was like my heart was an endless pool of love, deepened only by Jacob's lips.

And he was so gentle, but so powerful. If they had a definition of the perfect kisser in the dictionary, it would be Jacob Ephriam Black.

Finally he pulled away. "I love you, Bella," he whispered.

"Yeah. I felt it," I whispered, bewildered. I felt it better than any mere words could express.


	7. Normal

_**A/N:**__ Hey Guys! I am so, so, __**SO**__ sorry for such a long wait. As I said, semester finals were crazy. But it's over now, and as of this past Friday I am officially on winter break! That means updates are hopefully going to be cranking out like crazy. Also, adding onto my sincere apology, I have given you the longest chapter yet! I didn't even intend for it to be this long, but I hope you have as much fun reading it as I did writing it. xD It's well over 3,000 words, not even including this. This is also the second chapter in a row full of romance, so I'm sure you're overloaded by now.  
>Thank you so much for all of your reviews. I just love reading them. You guys are so great. I have to make a personal shout-out to <em>**keanniea14**_, who picked a song for my stories and characters. I think it's just the coolest thing that you are inspired enough to choose a theme song for my stories! If you're curious, my theme song for this story at this point in time is "Everlasting Light" by The Black Keys. Give it a listen; it's a fantastic song and fits Jacob perfectly. For Severed Trance, I would probably choose "Requiem on Water" by Imperial Mammoth, also a wonderful song.  
>However, I do encourage everyone to come up with their own theme songs for my stories and PLEASE share them with me in your reviews! :D<br>Enjoy, my loves! :) REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW._

**-Chapter 7-**

Time seemed to move in super-speed lately. With finals and graduation crawling ever-closer, I had almost stopped thinking about the Cullens altogether. Almost.

I loved Jacob more than anyone in the world, but I still missed them. I was suspicious that Jacob could sense that, so I tried not to think about it around him.

Oh, _Jacob_. I sighed dreamily in my head at the thought of him, and then recoiled a little. I shouldn't be such a girl. That was immature. We were just starting out, and I was still healing from past heartbreak.

But we weren't really just starting out. We knew each other better than anyone else, and we were supposedly _destined_ for each other or something like that. So I was allowed to be at least a little dreamy, right?

The teenage girl, still buried somewhere deep inside the mostly adult me, said yes.

But there were other things to worry about. I was about to graduate and I still didn't know what I was going to do about college, especially while Jacob was only halfway through high school, -even though he had now switched to home schooling online due to his crazy schedule with patrols that required the flexibility- I wasn't sure how exams were going to go as I had kind of forgotten studying with all of the emotional pain, and Victoria was still out there.

Victoria. I shuddered at the thought of her.

What was she going to do? I knew she was James's mate, and judging by vampire reputation, she must still be angry about it. But the question was, had she gone for Edward already, or was she planning something much more sinister?

Or… was she coming for me?

It would be far easier to live with that option. Edward would be left unharmed, Jacob and the wolves would protect me and get rid of her, and that would be the end of it. Even though I loved Jacob far more than I had ever loved Edward, I still wanted him to be alive and happy. I didn't love him anymore, not after all that had happened, but a part of me still cared.

I took my mind off of unpleasantness and thought about Jacob once more. He was just so fantastic. Being with him was so _easy_, like a reflex. An instinct. He became whatever I wanted to, and never left my side. He was exactly what I needed. It was almost like our minds were connected, like he could hear my thoughts and I his, and it wasn't just when we were in the same room; I was sure that if I needed help, he would know, even a thousand miles away, if he would ever possibly separate himself that far from me, of course, which he wouldn't.

I wished he would finish with his patrol soon. It was unusually cold today for late spring, about 50 degrees, without wind and rain chill. Something about the insulation in the ceiling and walls in the house retained and amplified the cold instead of shutting it out. I had always been skinny and cold-natured, so Charlie's incredibly cheapskate rule, "Unless it's thirty degrees or under, don't waste money on turning up the heat, because there's nothing enough blankets can't fix," never sat well with me.

I swore out loud, something I rarely did, and pulled the three blankets tighter around me, cocooning myself in warmth. No matter how much I shifted, there was always a spot that the blanket didn't cover, where the cold air managed to seep through. As soon as I shifted to cover it up, another spot appeared.

"F-fuck-k-king h-hell!" I babbled with chattering teeth, getting legitimately angry. Cold weather never brought out Bella's happy side.

"I've never heard you say fuck before, Bella. I didn't know you had a bad side. It's kind of sexy," I heard a husky voice coming from the kitchen.

I didn't even jump. I was too used to his surprise entrances.

"J-Jacob! Come here now!" I managed to get the last part out coherently. I was so happy to hear his voice. And I realized it wasn't just because of his incredible warmth. I had missed him like I missed air to breathe, even though he stayed with me every night, and he had only been gone a few hours. The imprint went both ways; we needed each other.

"I missed you," he sighed, following my voice into the living room.

"I m-missed you m-much more," I smiled with chattering teeth, aching to be close to him.

"Bella! Oh my God sweetheart, you're freezing!" He quickly unwrapped my blanket cocoon and sat beside me, holding me as close as possible to him and wrapping just one blanket around us, sealing in the warmth.

"Mmmm…." I sighed, feeling instant relief. Along with the cold, all of my stress and worry was gone too. I curled up so close I was practically on his lap, resting my head on his collar bone, taking in his scent.

"I'm going to have to talk to Charlie about this no-heat rule. You may need your toes someday," he joked, resting his chin on my head, and inhaling my own scent, I noticed.

"He's so cheap," I chuckled, "but he's not as cold-natured, so he doesn't understand. I don't bother him with my complaining about how cold it is. I can deal with it with you here," I smiled.

Jacob's arms, already wrapped around me, rubbed my back in comforting loops. "Glad you haven't gotten tired of me yet," he chuckled.

"Never. I wish you could be here every second of every day," I whispered, not exaggerating.

"Me too," I could hear the smile in his voice. _Jacob's_ smile.

"Hey, Jacob?" I looked up at him.

"Yeah?" he was already looking at me, his happy smile infectious.

I answered by pressing my lips to his, harder than I had originally intended. He didn't seem to mind. He reciprocated fully, cradling the back of my head with one giant hand.

Our lips molded, danced with each other naturally. The way we tangled was effortless and intoxicating. I decided to be bold, and trailed my tongue on his bottom lip, demanding entrance. He gasped, and soon our tongues meshed in much the same way our lips did, only faster and far more desperate.

I could never have kissed Edward this way. And even if I had, he would have pulled away, pushed me back.

Something that had never shown itself before appeared in my thoughts. Hatred and shame from his distance intoxicated my brain and caused me to hesitate for a moment, but not long. Jacob was too into it to notice, for which I was glad.

I shouldn't think about Edward now, especially this newfound hatred. I didn't have to ever think about him ever again. He was gone. I could fully enjoy Jacob now, and revel in his love and inability, let alone unwillingness, to ever push me back.

I smiled and knotted my hands in his now-growing-back (thank God) hair and went with the kiss until I remembered that I should probably breathe.

I pulled away, not wanting to whatsoever, panting. Jacob rested his forehead on mine.

"What… was that wonderful side of you that just came out?" Jacob panted, planting one more, brief kiss on my lips. It was different, more soft and sweet and loving, and this time it set my heart aflame instead of my body.

"It's always been there. You're just the only one who can bring it out," I whispered, not quite meeting his eyes. The embarrassment and self-consciousness had finally caught up with me.

"Well, then someone must really like me up there," Jacob chuckled, and pulled me close to him again.

"Maybe, but someone definitely loves you right here," I whispered.

Jacob smiled smugly. "What did you say?"

"I- I said I love you, Jacob. What?"

"What do you mean _what_?" Jacob's grin was goofy and playful.

"Why do you have that big grin on your face? You know I love you," I blushed.

"Yeah, but it's only the second time you've said it out loud," Jacob's eyes were sparkling.

"It can't be," I whispered stubbornly, thinking about it. I went over my entire time knowing him in my head, and realized he could be right.

"Say it again," Jacob whispered, emotion thick in his eyes, "I want to hear it again,"

I locked eyes with him then. "I love you, Jacob," I said with certainty.

He stole another kiss, and pecked my lips twice more. He looked like he was almost crying.

"How much do you love me, Bella?" He whispered.

"With all my heart," I held his gaze, "I thought I already explained this to you in the meadow,"

"You didn't make things clear, though. Yeah, you showed me that you loved me, but you didn't completely make things clear about… everyone else," his eyes hardened for a moment, and it was obvious who "everyone" was.

I sighed. "All right, I'll make it as clear as I can, so there's no confusion." I looked up momentarily, and Jacob nodded, urging me on. "I thought I could never love anyone as much as him, Jacob. Then he left, and when you picked up those pieces, I should've known from the start that you were it all along. And this sounds like I'm telling a really cheesy lie, I know, but it's true. And being around you, Jacob, I feel more whole than I ever felt with him. I don't have to hold back or be pushed back. You were always right for me. So yes, Jacob. I love you more than _everyone_, especially him. It's always been you, and you were patient enough to stick around until I realized it. So for that, I have only you to thank. Now please, please, _please_…" my voice cracked a little at the end, showing my pain, "help me forget him. Make it seem like they never happened, so I can finally be happy. I'm…." I stopped, scared.

"You're what, Bella?" Jacob's eyes were melted again, and so… _happy_. This was what he wanted. This was exactly what he was trying to get at, and he had never felt so triumphant.

"I'm ready to let go," I whispered, a tear rolling down my cheek.

"Oh, _Bella_," Jacob squeezed me against him, "That's what I needed to hear,"

"I'm glad," I chuckled, sniffling. I was so tired of the overflow of emotions.

"I'm so glad you told me that. And I know I'm probably bleeding you dry emotionally," he grimaced at the unintended pun, "but I needed to hear that. And now that I know, I can spend the rest of my life helping you forget that horrible year ever happened,"

"I'd like that," I smiled, "So _now_ are you happy?"

"Oh, you don't know the meaning of happy, Bella," He shook his head, nuzzling my hair as he did so.

We sat there quietly for a moment, just enjoying the peace and quiet and the familiar sound of rain on the roof. Finally, I spoke.

"So," I wiggled a little next to him, "how were patrols?"

Jacob grimaced. "Not good. There's this redheaded leech that keeps coming around here and then leaving. She obviously wants something if she keeps coming back, but she's zigzagging at the borders, testing our defenses, trying to get in. It's really frustrating and a little frightening. We don't know what she wants, and she's so fast. She's the hardest we've ever had to deal with, and-,"

I stopped hearing after he said "redheaded leech." My face went pale, I broke out in a cold sweat, and I felt the overwhelming urge to vomit. I jumped up from his embrace, cutting him off, and ran towards the bathroom. I barely made it to the toilet before I started to wretch.

"Bella! Bella! What's wrong?"

I didn't answer at first. I couldn't move. I was right that she was coming for me, and she was already _here_. I had not expected she would come so soon. I started to wish she had gone for Edward, but thought better of it. Even with my newfound hatred I had seemed to develop just a few minutes ago, I didn't want him to _die_. I just wanted to forget about him, and this was not helping.

I couldn't hide the panic now. I mean, I knew Jacob would protect me, but Victoria was so fast. She was smart and vicious, and she could figure out a way to slip through and…

I threw up again.

"Bella, Bella please," Jacob's voice was high with panic, "Were you already sick before this or is there something I should know?"

I finally found the strength to make words. "I wasn't sick before this, but I sure as hell am now," I rasped, terrified out of my wits.

"What's wrong? It's just one vampire, Bella. Do you know her? Do you know what she's looking for? Is she a friend of yours? Because if she is, I'm sorry…" He spoke quickly, trying to comfort me.

"No, she's not a friend," I said strongly, washing my face, taking comfort in Jacob's hand on my waist.

"Then what's wrong?" Jacob whispered.

I looked straight into his eyes then, forcing meaning into my every word. "I know what she's after,"

"What?" He was excited now. He wouldn't be for long.

"Me," I let my fear seep into the word.

Jacob stood up straight, his entire body hardening, taking an almost protective stance. He let out a low growl, his wolf instincts taking over for a moment.

"_What_," he spat.

"She's after me. Edward killed her mate, and now she's after me for revenge," I said a little too matter-of-factly.

"I thought he left," I could hear the acid in his voice.

"She doesn't know that," I shook my head solemnly, "and even if she did, it wouldn't change anything. When a vampire's mate is killed, they go into a crazed state, living only to kill everyone involved with the death of their mate. Only then do they move on, provided they don't die in the process," I swallowed, feeling the nausea coming on again.

Jacob took me in his arms then. "Well, you can rest assured that the latter will happen," he said with certainty.

"I hope so," I whispered.

"Bella, please have confidence in me. Her being after you is everything. That obviously makes her a top priority in my book, much bigger than before. She will be annihilated, and I will keep you safe in the meantime," His stare was firm and unrelenting. "I wish you could have told me about her before, you wouldn't have had to be so scared. I will always keep you safe. It's my job," he smiled then, but it was dampened slightly by worry. He kissed my forhead.

I leaned into him, savoring the feeling.

"I'm not worried about _me_, Jacob. I'm worried about you guys. What if you get hurt in the process? What if you…" I choked, not wanting to finish that sentence. Not _allowing_ myself to finish that sentence.

Jacob shook his head. "I should've known that your own safety would be the last thing on your mind, even in a situation like this. But, then again," he turned me around and held me to him, his chin over my head, so we were both facing the bathroom mirror, "that's why I love you,"

I looked at the two of us for a moment. We were so drastically different and yet we fit like a glove. I couldn't ignore the way Jacob looked at me. It was, in fact, exactly the way all of the other imprinters looked at their "imprintees," but I could see something stronger in his. It was like our connection was even more powerful than the others, even more binding. It was almost frightening, but also not. It was just too _right_, so I went with it, but the curiosity overtook me.

"Jacob, why is our connection stronger than the other imprints?" I knew he knew it too.

"Well, because…" Jacob's face twisted into an uncertain grimace.

"Because why?" My eyebrows furrowed.

"Because the alpha has the strongest bond with his mate. He has to,"

"The alpha? Jacob, are you the leader of the pack now? Did Sam step down or something? How did you earn that?" I was shocked.

"No, no. According to my lineage, I was supposed to be alpha. The Blacks are the rightful alpha family. My grandfather was alpha and chief, my father was technically chief, and I was supposed to be too. But I let Sam keep it. I didn't want to be the leader of something I didn't want to be a part of in general,"

"Wow," I said quietly. I developed a whole new respect for Jacob for doing something like that.

"Yeah," he shrugged.

"So since you were _supposed_ to be alpha, we still have the strongest bond?"

"Yep,"

"But why?"

"Well, because the alpha of the wolf pack is also considered chief of the tribe. And the chief always has a mate, and she's the chief-ette, or something like that. Technically she's called the Eye, because as well as being a healer, she can see, to quote The Lord of the Rings, 'things that were, things that are, and things that have not yet come to pass,'" he chuckled momentarily, "and the two of them together are called the Undivided. Like the name says, they always have the deepest ties, because they need it to lead the tribe. They're the grand pair, and they have both the strongest powers and the strongest bond. They are extremely weak when apart, but together…" he took my hand then, and laced his fingers through mine, "they're everything," he finished.

I shook my head, mesmerized. "That's incredible,"

"I suppose," he smiled, "I've heard those stories all my life, but I guess I've never thought about being the one in them,"

"Are you going to have to step up as chief someday?" I cocked my head.

"Someday. Probably sooner than I would have hoped. Emily's not getting any younger, and soon enough Sam is going to want to start aging with her. Maybe even as soon as when they get married,"

I nodded. "That'll be a lot of responsibility,"

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Bella. You didn't exactly get a fair say in this," Jacob shook his head.

"No, I want to. I feel like it's what I'm supposed to do, and my gut feelings have never led me astray before," I pursed my lips.

"That's the Eye in you," Jacob chuckled, but he was serious.

"That's right… so I get cool powers?" I grinned.

"You've had them all your life, Bella. They just won't be unlocked until the time is right," Jacob laughed.

I pouted, and then Jacob laughed again.

"C'mon, let's go get something to eat," Jacob let go of me and started to walk over to the kitchen. I watched him leave, imagining a giant feather headdress on his head. I laughed aloud.

"What?" Jacob said, confused.

"Nothing," I giggled.

Jacob looked at me oddly, but let it go.

For the rest of the afternoon, Jacob helped me cook, and we laughed and ate and threw food at each other, forgetting for a time the impending danger and adult responsibility looming just along the horizon. For a few hours, we were normal teenagers.

Almost.


	8. Friends

_**A/N:**__ Hey! I'm so sorry about these long waits. I hate this procrastination streak I'm in. I thought winter break would be a time of flooding of updates, but in reality it was just the opposite. I'm so sorry. Reviews are what push me on, so thank you. This is a really short, almost filler chapter- I'm kind of having writer's block right now because I'm at a weird transition point, but the next chapter will be full of excitement! I hope you enjoy this one. :) REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW.  
>And, by the way, I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year! I love you all so much! <em>

**-Chapter 8-**

"Is this completely necessary?" I asked Jacob, watching Paul and Jared's wolves leave their shift after Jacob gave them the clear that he was here to keep watch.

"Of course it is, Bella," Jacob sighed, like I was a child.

"But… all of this protection? Just for me?" I shook my head. I didn't understand it.

"_Just_ for you?" Jacob's raised his eyebrows to maximum height, "Bella, do you have any idea how important you are to me? Everyone else too, but especially me. By protecting you, it's also protecting me, and in turn the whole pack. Do you have any idea what would happen if… if… you…" he stopped, shaking his head, distraught at the idea, and pulled me closer instinctively, "I can't even think about that. It hurts too much," his voice cracked, "and if I'm in that kind of pain, that would put the pack through the same hell. Imprints are the biggest priority, for the sake of the sanity of everyone involved,"

I leaned into him. "That's really sweet," I pursed my lips for a moment, "but I don't want to see one of you get hurt. What if there's more than her? What if-"

Jacob cut me off. "Shh, Bella. This is what we were born to do. Have a little faith," he chuckled, completely at ease.

"I don't understand why you're so relaxed about…her," I couldn't stomach saying her name.

"Oh, please. That bitch isn't getting anywhere near you," His voice got very fierce at the end. It was almost frightening.

I wanted to change the subject. It was irresponsible, but I wanted to forget Victoria or any other bad things ever existed. I wanted to have a day like any other with Jacob.

"Jacob, can we go hang out at your place today?" My voice was hopeful.

Jacob grinned _his_ grin. "You wanna ride bikes?"

"And drink warm sodas in a paper bag?" I was smiling now, too.

"That sounds great, Bells. I miss that," Jacob took my hand and stood up, pulling me with him.

"Me too," I sighed.

Jacob grimaced. "I don't really feel like driving…here," He turned around and bent over behind the couch, facing his back towards me so I could climb on the couch and then get on his back for a piggyback ride. I knew this, but I decided to mess with him.

"Look, Jacob, I know this is how you and your brothers have fun, but I'm not really into doggie styl-" But I couldn't finish when the wind was knocked out of me as I hit the couch.

Jacob held me down. "What did you say?" he said with mock malice. His hands were in a claw-like position, ready to strike.

"No, Jake-!" I couldn't utter much more than that between uproarious bouts of my own laughter while he tickled me mercilessly.

"No!...Jake!...Quit!...Okay!...I'm…sorry!" I gasped between giggles.

He paused for a moment and grinned evilly at me. "I don't believe you,"

I gave him a peck on the lips. "How about now?"

He shook his head. "Not good enough,"

Just when he was about to start tickling me again, I latched my lips to his and moved them in synchronization, putting my hands around his neck to hold him there. Of course, that wasn't really necessary.

He kissed me warmly, lovingly, but in a way that set me on fire like only he could, I was sure.

"Now?" I rasped, smiling.

"Not quite," He touched his lips to mine, once, twice more, and then began pecking butterfly kisses on my cheeks and my nose, my forehead, and finally trailing down my neck.

I tried to catch my breath to no avail. Jacob stopped just above my collar bone and kissed back up my neck, and finally to my lips again.

"I love you," I sighed, shaking my head.

Jacob smiled, and then pulled me up finally into his embrace, kissing my hair.

"I didn't say stop," I laughed.

Jacob had an odd mix of shock and guilt on his face. "I didn't even expect to be allowed to do that- you always talk about not liking to have your space invaded,"

"You're the only exception," I amended, then added quietly, trying to make my voice sound sexy, and probably failing miserably, "You can invade my space anytime you want, Jake,"

Jacob's eyes widened so huge it was all I could do not to laugh in his face. All of his previous confidence was now shattered. He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, like some kind of fish, trying to say something but not seeming to be able to, and then finally managed to ramble out, "Uh… um… well… thanks,"

I chuckled, trying to keep it from cackling evilly. "You're welcome,"

I usually wasn't able to tell if he was blushing because of his dark skin, but I could tell now. I jumped up out of his embrace, wholly satisfied with myself for once, and pulled him up with me.

"Let's go ride some motorcycles," I chirped happily, "I'll drive to your house."

"Okay," Jacob said, nodding almost like a child.

I often forgot that Jacob was only sixteen years old. Between responsibilities with his pack, taking care of his father, and keeping tabs on me (as much as I tried to convince him I was okay by myself, even though that's probably a lie given my reputation for extreme susceptibility to life-threatening idiocy) he was taking on the life of a grown man for all intents and purposes. But he was still a _boy _in some ways; he had the same raging hormones and love for video games that any other sixteen year old did. And that had all been taken away from him, through nobody's fault but the Cullens.

The more I thought about vampires in general, the more my hatred grew. I was so blinded by infatuation that I never realized how horrible they were. So cold and distant and deceptively beautiful- all they seemed to be able to do was hurt people and cause bad things to happen. Even people like the Cullen family, who meant well as far as I knew, could only cause pain in the end. It's just what vampires did. I finally understood why the wolves hated them so much. For the most part, I did too.

I tried not to think about it much more. Today, I would concentrate on the positive, and go back to the days when Jacob and I were a couple of friends doing things they shouldn't be doing just for the sake of doing things they shouldn't be doing. Today, we would take a break.

We piled into my truck and made our way to La Push, at ease except for Jacob's occasional glances my way, still confused, a little unnerved, and something else. Admiration? No, that wasn't it. I was never good at reading faces.

My truck's internal speed limit kept us driving nice and slow, so we could have talked, but there was a comfortable silence that I enjoyed. It was like we could hear each other's thoughts, and we both knew that today, we were going home.

"You know, Bella, in the grand scheme of things, not a whole lot has changed," Jacob said thoughtfully, cleaning his bike with a rag, and then handing it to me.

"Thanks," I said, taking the rag, "and no, not really, except-,"

"Yeah," Jacob smiled, "but even that, it's not so much different. I mean, we always kind of acted like we were… _together_. People assumed we were,"

"They did. And in a way they were right, sort of. We always kind of blurred the friendship line; it was never clear. Until now, of course. And I'm glad—things are a lot less confusing," I laughed.

"You and me both," he chuckled, "but I guess what I'm saying is, I'm glad we can keep the best friend aspect of it too,"

"We'll always be best friends, Jake," I murmured, shrugging.

"Kindred spirits," he smiled again, taking two warm sodas out of the paper bag, and handing one to me.

"I like that," I nodded to myself, and raised my can, "To kindred spirits,"

Jacob touched his can to mine, grinning.


End file.
